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IACUC Guidelines: Euthanasia

Guidelines: The IACUC has provided a set of guidance documents (Policies, Guidelines, and Informational Sheets) for use when planning animal procedures at the University of Iowa. An exception to a Guideline must be described and justified in the Animal Protocol and approved during the normal review process.

Purpose: The purpose of these guidelines is to describe acceptable methods for the euthanasia of animals used in teaching, research and testing at the University of Iowa. All animal euthanasia must be performed by appropriately trained personnel approved on the Animal Protocol.

Performance of Euthanasia

All animal euthanasia must be performed by appropriately trained personnel approved on the Animal Protocol. All euthanasia procedures must be continuously monitored by the person(s) performing the procedure, until confirmation of euthanasia is complete.

Confirmation of Euthanasia
Any animal euthanized on a University of Iowa Animal Protocol requires a method of confirmation of euthanasia. Some acceptable methods of confirmation are described below.

Common Acceptable Methods of Euthanasia
Listed below are some commonly used and accepted methods of euthanasia for different species. This list is not inclusive. Please see the “AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia” for further information.

Rodents weighing > 500grams

Acceptable Methods of Euthanasia

Overdose of chemical anesthetics ( 2-3 times the anesthetic dose)

Overdose of isoflurane (see “Isoflurane Euthanasia” below)

CO2 exposure (see the "Rodent CO2 Euthanasia" below)

Barbiturate overdose

Methods of Confirmation of Euthanasia

Bilateral thoracotomy

Decapitation

Vital tissue harvest (inclusive of heart and/or lungs and/or brain)

Rodents weighing <500 grams

Adults and neonates > 10 days of age

Acceptable Methods of Euthanasia

Overdose of chemical anesthetics ( 2-3 times the anesthetic dose)

Overdose of isoflurane (see “Isoflurane Euthanasia” below)

CO2 exposure (please see the "Rodent CO2 Euthanasia" below)

Barbiturate overdose

Focused microwave irradiation

Methods of Confirmation of Euthanasia

Cervical dislocation (not acceptable for rats > 200 grams of body weight or hamsters due to their heavy cervical musculature)

Decapitation

Bilateral thoracotomy

Vital tissue harvest (inclusive of heart and/or lungs and/or brain)

Continued exposure to CO2 for at least 15 minutes after respiratory arrest

NOTE: you do not have to use CO2 first. Per NIH guidelines, decapitation alone for this age group is an acceptable means of euthanasia, no confirmation required

Methods of Confirmation of Euthanasia

Decapitation

Feti (unborn animals that have not breathed)

Mouse, Rat and Hamster Feti up to 15 days’ gestation and Guinea Pig Feti up to 34 days’ gestation:

Acceptable Methods of Euthanasia

Confirmed euthanasia of mother

Removal of feti from the anesthetized mother

No further method of confirmation of euthanasia of the feti required

Mouse, Rat and Hamster Feti 15 days of gestation to birth and Guinea Pig Feti 35 days gestation to birth:

Acceptable methods of Euthanasia

Decapitation with scissors

Confirmed euthanasia of mother (feti not required for study)

Confirmed euthanasia of mother (feti required for study)

The uterus with the pups or the pups with the amniotic can be removed after euthanasia of the mother

If at any point a fetus is allowed to breathe it must be decapitated

Rapid freezing of feti while anesthetized (liquid nitrogen immersion)

Anesthesia may be effectively induced by hypothermia of the fetus, which can be achieved by submerging the fetus (with the amniotic sac intact) in cold (4-8⁰C/35-39⁰F) physiological saline until the fetus becomes completely immobile

If at any point the fetus is allowed to breath it must be decapitated

Methods of confirmation of euthanasia

No further method of confirmation of euthanasia of the feti required

If the mother is euthanized, her death must be confirmed

Rodent CO2 Euthanasia

Animals must not be combined from different cages

If euthanizing an entire cage the animals must remain in their original housing. If euthanizing part of the cage, move to a clean cage with a filter top.

Note: Neonatal and diving birds are tolerant of high concentrations of CO2; therefore, prolonged exposure to high concentrations of CO2 will be required to produce death (e.g., in excess of 5 minutes in 60–70% CO2 for 1-day old chicks).